by Oubliette

In this episode, DT departs from its usual practice of showing the cryptid investigation during the second half of the program.   This may have been done to keep the viewership of GH from changing the channel, as Robb and Dustin from GHI appear as guest investigators in this segment.  It seems an odd crossover since GHI only investigates hauntings, and never in an environment so intense.  However, I must say that this segment did not turn out as disappointing as I thought it would be from the standpoint of having those two join the team.

To be honest, though, it seemed like no one was really expecting to find the creature in question, the Chullachaqui.  There have been just too many dead ends when it comes to chasing after tribal legends and supposed sightings. However, the jungles of South America are one of Josh’s favorite hunting grounds, so I’m not surprised that he would decide to chase after yet another chimera in that part of the world.

The Chullachaqui is, to use Josh’s term, a demonic gremlin, this time with a South American flavor.  Centered around the Madre de Dios River, a tributary of the mighty Amazon, we learn that recently there have been 12 sightings of the creature.  However, on the chalkboard it reads “2007”, so if this corresponds with the dates of the sightings, they are reaching a bit in describing these as “recent”.  My sense is the production team needed a filler, so decided to run with this somewhat obscure subject.

As for the beast itself, it is reported to be only about 3 to 4 feet tall, but with immense speed and a mouthful of razor sharp teeth.  With pointy ears, sparse fur and a three-toed footprint, it is yet another example of small, devilish creatures that seem to turn up in so many out-of-the way areas around the globe.  It is said to make a distinctive clicking noise.   In any event, the depiction we are shown is that of a small but fearsome upright humanoid, who runs swiftly on two legs and is something one would not want to encounter in the jungle.  It appears to be nocturnal; hence the need to investigate during nigh time hours.

Robb (looking very sunburned) and Dustin (thankfully minus the backward duckbill cap) join up with the DT team in what is their first hunt for a mysterious and elusive jungle beast.  I must say that when Josh joined GHI for their investigation of Frankenstein castle, it was an episode I thoroughly enjoyed.  Josh seemed to fit it with the toned down approach of GHI, and reversing the equation appeared to work as well.

Leapfrogging from Lima to Cuzco to the town of Puerto Maldonado, the team is instantly met by the intense heat and humidity of the rainforest.  This is the first time we get to see Jael with a curly hairdo.  Josh greets Robb and Dustin, and Josh jokes that the extreme heat is payback for taking him to the wintry conditions in Germany during the previously mentioned crossover investigation.

Off they go with a decent DT van, with Josh, Robb and Dustin enjoying the view from atop its roof.  Seeking something to eat, the gang heads to the local market, only to discover that a lot of the offerings attract bunches of flies.  We can understand why Robb relates “I don’t like this.  I don’t want to play anymore”.  Guess there are no health inspections in this part of Peru.  This place may well win the DT award of “Unhealthiest Food Market Or Bazaar”.  At least they find a fruit juice vendor offering some halfway decent looking drinks, so it looks like they decide to fill up on the liquid refreshment.  Josh also purchases quite a few rolls of toilet paper since it might be a rare commodity in the depths of the jungle.

Dustin shows off his motorcycle skills for the camera as he takes the lead in their journey to meet up with Julio Gomes, a professor at the University of Cuzco, who has been doing some research into the Chullachaqui.  Josh learns that an attack was reported the previous week by a member of a tribe that lives deep in the jungle.  Getting there would necessitate a long boat trip down the Madre de Dios River, but Josh jokingly inquires as to what type of reception they can expect from these jungle dwelling people (headhunters comes to mind).  He is told to explain exactly what they are doing there and what they are seeking–not exactly the response he was looking for.

A decent looking boat is acquired that looks a bit above the usual DT disaster transport vehicle.  Dustin boards the boat dressed in fatigues (um, is this actually a good idea?  Not a good career move in certain areas of South America) always the fashion-conscious showoff-um, I mean guy.  The journey will involve a 60 mile trip down the Amazon and deeper into remote areas of this famous jungle.  It is apparent why Josh has an affinity for this region, given that not only are there myriad species of interesting and dangerous animals within its boundaries, but also because it probably harbors any number of unknown flora and fauna.  It is one of the planet’s last few secret spots, and a natural magnet for any enthusiastic crypto zoologist.

After brushing off some ugly insects, traversing a swinging bridge and a narrow beam (jungle ninja, Dustin?) the team meets Enrique, a tribal elder who states his friend was killed by a Chullachaqui.  Robb inquires as to where they must go to find the creature, and the elder draws a map to show them how to reach a village where a sighting  had just recently been reported.  We are then treated to a bow and arrow contest of sorts (I’m wondering what Josh has against that camera); looks like no one gets the prize but not surprisingly Enrique’s arrow comes the closest to hitting the target.

After another boat ride of 20 miles, the gang arrives at the location of the Ese-jas tribe where a village shaman, Honorato Misshan, was eager to give directions to an area where they were likely to meet up with the creature.  Along the way, Robb and Dustin share their thoughts on the differences between GHI’s investigations as opposed to those of DT.  Not surprisingly, they concur that this is a new and unique experience as opposed to anything they have come up against in their adventures around the globe.

When they arrive at their new location, base camp is set up in the configuration that we have come to know, with IR cameras in a perimeter around the camp, and track cameras placed farther out to alert the team to any movement deeper in the jungle.  The familiar FLIR will also be employed; no need for an EMF meter here.  Josh gives a speech about keeping safe while traipsing through the tropical forest, including warning them about dangerous snakes, especially the Bushmaster.  This snake belongs to the pit viper family and as Rex explains, it can lurk in trees undetected until it strikes.  For good reason, it is known as the “Bringer of Silent Death”.  It is also the longest venomous snake in the world.

I had to laugh at Josh’s references to Jurassic Park (velociraptor compound, T-Rex paddock), being a fan of that film myself. It does seem as though a dinosaur could appear at any moment given the wild look of their surroundings.  Josh goes off with Robb and Dustin into the Amazon Jungle-one of the top 10 of the most dangerous locales in the world.  Suddenly, the FLIR picks up something in the brush, in spite of the fact that the dense foliage makes it difficult to pick up heat signatures.

Because Sharra and Bisha report hearing clicking noises just behind them at base camp, Josh and company decide to make their way back.  But on the way they too hear strange sounds–almost as though someone were following behind them.  As they explain after reaching the camp, the noise was of something substantial that seemed to be luring them to come closer to its location.  Their description is interrupted by a growl, accompanied by a snapping sound indicating something approaching their location.  At the same time, they lose the image on camera 4.

In an effort to better hear the sounds and to head off whatever is producing them, Josh, Mike and Dustin set out with the parabolic dish.  Meanwhile, Jael and Robb have an encounter of their own as they see a pair of eyes looking out at, and following them, through the foliage.  Inexplicably, they try to communicate (in Spanish) with whatever seems to be out there.

I’m surprised that they try to speak to it, being that we are never told that it could understand any language, though that may have been edited out.  Perhaps they felt that it was worth trying to contact something that seemed to be dogging their path.  They then hear a whistling sound (personally I couldn’t hear anything) which prompts them to set up a trap camera.  This is followed by a very loud crash or boom, loud enough to be heard back in base camp.  (I couldn’t help but think of Josh’s investigation of reports of giant sloths said to live in the Amazon jungle.  Though not mentioned, there are some similarities in both investigations.)

The parabolic dish starts to pick up on a chirping sound coming from the direction of the water.  This sends Josh back to base camp, where the two teams relate what they have just experienced.  Robb is convinced something with intelligence is toying with them.  Jael and Dustin set out to see what the trap camera may have picked up, and discover that it had snapped seven pictures since they had initially placed it in that position.

Josh, Robb and Mike set out on the river in hopes of catching up with whatever had been making the strange chirps heard earlier.  The biggest sound they hear is the growl coming out of Josh’s stomach, so they return to the shore.  Just before they disembark, the guys notice a pair of eyes staring at them through the reeds.  It is while investigating this that Josh gets sucked in by quicksand.  Mike and Robb have a difficult time pulling him out, and the look on Josh’s face when he is out of the muck indicates to me that this event was as real as it gets.  I’d hate to think of what may have happened had Josh been there by himself, but that’s why they hardly ever go off alone regardless of where they may be.

Back in the jungle, Josh discovers some animal prints, and he makes a cast of them before heading back to camp.  He also discovers what he thinks are two different types of teeth.  He packs them away to be analyzed back in LA by Mike Dee, a familiar face to those of us who have been following the series.  It is he who solves the mystery as to what the DT team probably encountered while deep in the jungle.

Although the trap camera footage is too blurry to be of use, the cast of the prints as well as the teeth reveal the real culprits: wild swine that are endemic to the Amazon jungle.  These creatures, with a bit of imagination thrown in, closely match the descriptions of both the sightings of the Chullachaqui and its methods of attack.  Wild swine, like their European cousins the wild boar, are very aggressive and vicious animals.  The proof seems conclusive, although Josh wants to leave the door open as to the existence of a yet unidentified animal.

Some of my research on the Chullachaqui indicates that it is more of a “forest spirit” who is a kind of protector of the jungle, attacking or cursing any humans who do not have enough respect for their environment.  Conflicting stories claim that it is very shy and tries to avoid human contact.  It is intriguing enough to have had a horror movie made about it, but as far as its existence, I believe it lives only in the imagination and myths as old as some of the ancient tribes that still claim to encounter this terrifying creature.

At least they didn’t ask Jason and Grant to come along for the ride.  I can’t imagine them making their way along the dangerous and challenging trails in the heart of the Rainforest.  Well, not without some fishing line anyway.